Thursday, July 24, 2008

We're Not Gonna Take It

There's a new radio station in Little Rock that plays "oldies," which means music I liked in junior high and high school. Other than insulting me by calling the music of my youth "oldies," I like this station. They play stuff other '80s stations seem to have forgotten about. The '80s station in Houston, for example, thinks the only thing John Mellencamp ever recorded was "Hurts So Good." Drove me nuts.

So last night I was listening to this station in the car and heard Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It." Remember this song? It was the "Hey, let's all rebel against our oppressive parents" teen anthem of the '80s. Remember always cranking this song up when it came on back then? Remember how empowering and liberating it felt to belt it out at the top of our lungs? Because, yeah! We weren't gonna take it!

Looking back, does anyone know exactly what it was we weren't going to take anymore? Our parents paying the bills? Having pretty much no responsibilities other than school and maybe a part-time job? Exactly how was it that we were being oppressed? Was it enough to cause us to want to ditch our parents to follow the wisdom of the guy in that photo up there -- a guy who looks like a meth-addicted Ronald McDonald in drag?

Maybe some psychic should have told us that by the time we would hit our mid-30s, gas prices would soar to the stratosphere and we would be spending $160 to fill up our Suburbans. Now THAT'S something to rebel against.

6 Comments:

One generation removed it was School's Out by Alice Cooper. Of course, sweet Alice was talking about blowing up the school.

Yeah, sounds cool when you're 14. When your kids 14? Not so much. Nowhere for them to learn, taxes go up to pay for the new school, heightened security means it's impossible to run lunch in to your starving kid.

"Oh you're so condescending,Your goal is never-ending,We don't want nothing, not a thing from you!" Ah yes - wisdom for the ages. But I LOVE Twisted Sister, and that album ("Stay Hungry") is true greatness (yes, i still own it!).

BTW...the next time you hear that song...try to block out the words, and, instead, insert the lyrics to "O Come All Ye Faithful." It's perfect!

Okay - I know this is really late to the conversation, but I just dropped by your site today.

I've got a simple solution to figuring out just what we weren't gonna take. Go back and listen to D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's (Will Smith will always be Fresh Prince to me!) "Parents Just Don't Understand." This should clear everything up nicely! :)

About Me

I'm a wife, mom and writer. I'm a Texan who just happens to live in Little Rock, Arkansas. I love watching my children when they're sleeping. I love rock music way too much. My husband is the most incredible blessing God has given me. I eat right out of the ice cream carton when no one's around.